In January 2020, shortly before COVID obliterated our sense of normalcy, I received a fresh reminder of why QuietWaters Ministries exists. The Wall Street Journal had published an article about pastors who struggle with mental health and how admission of these struggles can often have negative repercussions, such as termination. It’s interesting to revisit this topic now, after so much has changed in the world. The unique challenges grappled with by pastors and other Christian leaders have not disappeared, and in fact have only been exacerbated by COVID and the other crises and conflicts of this season.

 

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The Compass Magazine is published twice a year by QuietWaters Ministries. The May 2015 issue is on the subject of Resilience. The magazine features two articles. One is written by Dr. Hudson McWilliams and is titled One of the Great Puzzles of Human nature.  The second article is written by Chaplain Jeff Vankooten. Jeff’s article is titled Pirates, Red Shirts, and Resilience. Hud and Jeff share a common belief that resilience can be learned and developed.  In his article, Hud offers us three characteristics that form the core of the resilient person.  Jeff shares seven resilient tactics to engage in tough times.  Please download the digital copy and feel free to share it with your friends.

I could regale you with dozens of stories from the last 9 months of training for my first ever marathon.  There has been humor and pain, success and failure, rain, sleet, snow, heat, and humidity.  I have studied about things like VO2 max, fartlek’s, intervals, LSD (that’s long, slow, distance), metabolic efficiency (yes, I’m a geek), heart rate training zones, diet, nutrition, and so much more.  I’ve shared conversations with Boston marathoners, ultra-marathoners, beginning runners, friends, supporters, naysayers, coaches, and chiropractors. I’ve spent miles running and praying and thinking and more miles running and not thinking and just, well, running.

Last night, during marathon training mile 926, I had a brief conversation that really captured my heart.  I was running along the Cherry Creek Trail and more focused on getting the training run finished and beating the rain than anything else.  A man was running towards me.  I had seen him on the trail before. Much like me, he doesn’t have a runner’s body.  I like to call us sturdy!  As he approached, I could see a serious look of determination on his face. His breathing was labored and sweat was dripping down his cheek.  We shared only a quick wave as we passed each other.  A few minutes later, I got to my turn around point and headed for home.  The man that I had seen earlier had slowed his run to a walk.  I came up beside him and matched his pace.  He removed his headphones as I got his attention.  As I have done many times before during short running conversations and encounters, I asked him what he was training for.  His answer caught me off guard.  Matter of factly he said,

–87 in a 75–

Have you ever had that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? That quick shot of adrenaline when you first see that light bar blink red and blue on the highway patrol car as it pulls in behind you? I recently had the pleasure of enjoying this experience. I was on the way to pick up my daughter, son-in-law, and grandbaby from the airport. I was driving their car because it had the car seat for the baby.  It was about 9:00 PM; I wasn’t even late. I was just cruising along on the toll way.  As soon as he pulled out from the median, I knew he was coming after me. I looked down at my speedometer and quickly came to the realization that this was not going to be pretty. I pulled over and waited for him to saunter up to the door.  Here is a brief synopsis of our conversation.

It started out as a typical Thursday morning here at the QuietWaters Ministries HQ.  I began the morning looking for the devotion book that we have been using for our weekly Staff Infection (a/k/a staff meeting).  The morning continued with me contracting a severe case of conviction.

We have been using a book written by a local pastor friend of mine, Jason Lohse, for our weekly study.  The book is titled Expresso – Devotional Readings to Energize Your Faith.

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The Compass Magazine is published twice a year by QuietWaters Ministries. The May 2014 issue is title Grief, Loss, and Hope. The magazine features two articles. One is written by Tricia Lott Williford and is titled Hope 9-1-1.  The second article is written by QuietWaters staff counselor, Victoria Johnson. Vicki’s article is titles In Weakness There is Strength. These two women are part of a club that no one wants to join.  Their stories are tragic and heartbreaking.  At the same time their resilience and faith are heartwarming. Vicki Johnson writes, “I couldn’t sleep, eat, or function. I was at the bottom of the deep, dark and murky ocean, being thrashed by horrendous currents, rip-tides and the destruction on the ocean endures.”

This is a story that a very close friend of mine shared with me last year. I have searched and been unable to find the origin. This story is very significant to me. Last year, I found myself in a difficult place and I was searching for God’s direction. I cried out in desperation, much the same as the man in this story, “what is wrong? Why am I failing?” I found great comfort in this story, then and now. I hope you enjoy. One of His, Scott

Pushing the Rock – Author Unknown

There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had a work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture placing thoughts into the man’s mind such as; “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it, etc.”

Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough.” And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of Prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

“Lord” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

To this the Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock.

BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM, this you have done. I, my friend, I will now move the rock.”

While leadership can be extremely rewarding and satisfying, few will argue with the fact that leadership can be extremely difficult at times. For many, like a soldier, or an assassinated President, or a first responder, leadership has come at the expense of their life. For many, leadership does not come at the cost of a physical life but it does, however, come at a very high emotional cost or physical cost.